New Jersey is best state in which to work from home, survey finds
Around 13% of New Jersey’s workforce currently does work from home, but over 96% of the workforce has the potential to telecommute.
Although it is possible for many employees to work from anywhere, not every place offers the same advantages to remote workers. New Jersey tops the list of best work-from-home states in a new study by WalletHJub.
“Working from home can save people a lot of money on transportation expenses, as well as make their work environment a lot more comfortable and their hours more flexible,” said Cassandra Happe, an analyst for the company. “However, things like energy costs, internet speed, home sizes and how many people live together can greatly impact people’s savings and productivity. While work-from-home jobs can be done anywhere, certain states make the practice much better than others.”
The top 10 places to work from home, based on a set of a dozen metrics, are New Jersey, followed by Utah, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Connecticut, Washington, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and North Carolina.
“New Jersey is the best state for working from home, with some of the cheapest internet prices in the country and very high access to broadband internet,” the report said. “Solid internet is essential for working from home. Garden State residents also are above average at staying safe when it comes to cybersecurity, so they’re less likely to have their work compromised.
“Around 13% of New Jersey’s workforce currently does work from home, but over 96% of the workforce has the potential to telecommute, meaning that their jobs could be conducted remotely.”
As with any working arrangement, remote work carries tradeoffs.
“From an employee perspective, there obviously are many advantages, including eliminating lost time commuting and gaining a certain amount of flexibility as to when and how the work gets done,” said Raymond J. Keating, chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. “Working remotely is not for everyone. Also, employers have to be able to explain why certain employees are allowed to work remotely, while others need to be in a more traditional work setting.”
Related: Remote work roles dropped 25% since 2021, employees pushing RTO mandates
Regardless of the location, remote work is here to stay. Between October 2023 and January 2024, more than 21% of workers who were able to work from home did so for five or more days a week, while more than two-thirds did so at least one day.
“Work-from-home will only continue to increase in 2024 and beyond,” said Katrina A. Burch, Ph.D., associate professor at Western Kentucky University. “This is because organizations that allow remote work options will increase the available talent pool for positions and perhaps have a better capacity to attract top talent. Not only that, but organizations are recognizing that remote work and other flexible options can increase employee productivity and performance, engagement and satisfaction with the organization leading to reduced turnover.”